For those animation fans anxiously awaiting the return of Hand Drawn Animation (although now drawn on tablets instead of paper) to Walt Disney Animation Studios, check out Cartoon Brew TV where an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip of The Princess and the Frog is available courtesy of… Read More »Exclusive Preview of The Princess and the Frog at Cartoon Brew
We’re about a month away from the glorifious geek fest that is Comic-Con. Sadly, I’ve never been able to make it myself. But for those out there in The Disney Blog-land who are going, make sure you catch this session on Disney’s legendary animator and teacher of the craft Walt Stanchfield.
The panel will be moderated by Don Hahn of the Walt Disney Studios and features Glen Keane, Eric Goldberg, Tom Sito, and Ruben Procopio as expert panelists. The panel discussion will celebrate the launch of the new book, Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes, the complete series of animation lectures by Walt Stanchfield. Catch it Thursday July 23rd at Noon.
Full Press Release is below the cut:
Read More »Comic-Con Panel Profiles Walt Stanchfield, legendary Disney animator
As I reported after seeing Pixar’s animated feature ‘UP’, it is a very adult film with adult concerns (love, loss, anxiety, quests left unfinished) and humor thrown in for the kiddie’s sake. What I failed to see was how this is a trend in Pixar’s… Read More »The Darkness of UP: Anxiety in Pixar’s Films
With May 29th right around the corner, it’s time to turn up the dial on news from the next film from Pixar Studios – UP. The official website for UP has just been greatly expanded. There are games, “UPisodes”, TV spots, trailers, image galleries, and… Read More »UP from Pixar – now with fully operation website
The NY Times has a terrific article about Mark Walton, the Disney Animator and general pop culture nerd, whose ‘scratch’ track for Rhino, the wheel bound Hamster from BOLT!, became the breakout character of the movie. A couple months ago, though, the co-directors asked Mr.… Read More »Destiny calls Disney Animator to Voice Talent Stardom in Bolt!
A few years ago John Lasseter swept into the Walt Disney Studios on the waves of the Pixar / Disney merger. Like Obama, Lasseter had a mandate. His mandate was to reform the culture of Walt Disney Feature Animation. Make it more like the successful culture up in Pixar, while still retaining that which is essential to Disney. Near the top of Lasseter’s list, end the direct to video sequels (aka cheapquels).
So why in the world has Disney released yet one more Direct to Video movie? And how could it involve one of Walt Disney’s more beloved and classic characters – Tinker Bell. How could you let that happen Uncle John?
Well, he let it happen because, hey turns out the idea was pretty good. It needed some tweaking, a real reworking, really. They had to upgrade from the ‘TV afternoon quality’ animation the movie started with, rework the story, rework it again, and again, and then suffer while all the merchandise that was created for the original release date hit the streets with no movie to tie-in too.
So the question is, was it worth it?
My answer is yes. “Tinker Bell” turns out to be a good movie. Yeah, they didn’t get Tinker Bell’s look or personality right. Yes, it’s computer animation, not hand drawn. But if you think of it as a re-launch, or an update to keep the character relevant, then they did a good job. In fact, if you can get over the fact that Tinker Bell speaks, you can easily overcome all the other changes that Pixie Hollow brings.
Some of those changes are good things. The story has heart, great characters, and a good message. You certainly can’t ask for more when you’re looking for good home entertainment from Disney. I guess that’s the reason the DVD is number one on the Amazon sales chart right now.
Now we hear that not only is the second Tinker Bell film well under way, a third film is being scripted. There’s a fourth and fifth film in the series if those two do well too. All this is part of the Walt Disney Company’s plan to make the Disney Fairies brand as big a money maker as the Disney Princess brand. I wish them luck.
The full press release with details on the DVD, Blu-Ray and Special Features is below the cut. So click on through.
Read More »Tinker Bell Makes A Movie, Signs Deal for Four More
This November 21st Bolt, Mittens, Rhino, Penny will lead audiences on an adventure of a lifetime. BOLT follows the adventures of the canine television star BOLT who believes that TV based super-powers are actually real as he attempts to find his way across America back to his co-star and friend, Penny. Along the way a cat named Mittens and a hamster named Rhino become his companions and then friends.
So yeah, the cross country pet adventure genre has been done a number of times. But from what I’ve heard Walt Disney Animation Studios has put some real heart into this tale. Look for some of the tale-tale signs of Pixar’s story and characterization depth as this is the first film John Lasseter and crew have had influence over from before the first frame was drawn.
If you’re as excited about the film as I am, you’ll be happy to hear that the official website is now open to explore. Plenty of videos, photos, downloads, and games to enjoy too.
Below the cut I’ve included a short preview video with John Travolta and Miley Cyrus that includes a clip from the movie:
CartoonBrew just posted a crazy rumor from inside Walt Disney Animation Studios. A CalArts professor claims that John Lasseter has removed Glen Keane from the director’s chair on Rapunzel. Apparently too many problems were cropping up with the work so far. Lasseter had previous assigned… Read More »Rumor: Glen Keane removed from Rapunzel by Lasseter